Noticing your tyre keeps losing air? You’re not alone. This guide explains the common causes of pressure loss — from temperature changes to slow punctures — and shows you how to check, fix, and prevent underinflated tyres. Stay safe, save fuel, and keep your tyres performing at their best.
Not only does tyre tread depth need to be regularly measured, but you also need to keep an eye on tyre pressure, to ensure that tyres are neither under nor overinflated.
When tyres are underinflated, losing pressure at a rapid rate, they are more likely to become damaged on the road by potholes and debris. What’s more, underinflated tyres are bad for fuel efficiency and have a negative impact on the comfort level for drivers and passengers.
Suffice to say, underinflated tyres cause a multitude of issues – which is why when it comes to maintaining optimum tyre pressure, drivers and vehicle owners need to stay vigilant and recognise both the causes behind lost pressure and what they can do to fix it.
Let’s take a closer look at tyre pressure and how best to check and maintain it.
What Causes a Drop in Tyre Pressure?
Tyres are losing pressure all the time, due to the process of osmosis which constantly displaces gas and forces it through the thick rubber walls (or, in reality, anything solid!) This is incredibly gradual and will likely not result in any tangible loss of pressure, at least not for a long time. However, it’s worth noting that this is always going on behind the scenes.
In addition to osmosis, tyres also have to battle against changing temperatures which affect the pressure inside a tyre. And then there’s damage, slow punctures, damaged wheel rims, and defective valves – all of which exacerbate the issue of lost pressure and make it necessary to not just check tyre pressure but also the structural integrity of each tyre.
The reason why your tyre is losing pressure could be any of the above. It is only when you look at and consider how well it holds its pressure that you can understand if the issue is damage or simply an everyday drop in pressure.
Reasons Why Your Tyres May Not Hold Pressure
The first thing that any vehicle owner will do when they notice a drop in tyre pressure, is use a pressure gauge to top it back up again.
But if you drive away and very quickly notice that your tyre doesn’t seem to be holding its pressure, the chances are that you are looking at some structural damage to the tyre – rather than an everyday drop in pressure.
If your tyre consistently loses pressure very quickly after being topped up, you should be checking the tyre for damage.
